Last chance for Gaza ceasefire? U.S. warns time is running out

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that a proposal remains on the table to extend the ceasefire in Gaza, but the opportunity for an agreement is "closing fast."

A State Department spokesperson said the plan would include the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander, along with a "substantial number" of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

"The opportunity is still there, but it's closing fast," the spokesperson added, emphasizing Washington's support for Israel while calling the proposal "compelling."

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced the resumption of ground operations in Gaza, as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to local health officials cited by Reuters. A day earlier, more than 400 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes, marking one of the deadliest days since the war began in October 2023, Reuters reported.

The renewed fighting shattered nearly two months of relative calm following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.

The latest escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's subsequent military offensive in Gaza has killed over 49,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, and displaced nearly the entire 2.3 million population of the enclave. The humanitarian crisis has also sparked allegations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies.

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